I'm looking for a starter gun for skeet and trap shooting. I would appreciate any advice from your experience. Price wise I don't want to break the bank but I also don't want a gun that will come apart after a few hundred rounds.

I have a Model 12 Winchester 16 gauge that belonged to my dad. I not sure how old it is but I know it is older than me and I'm 64. The problem is finding 16 gauge shells; they are not very available and sometimes pricey. Also I don't think I want to take a chance with something happening to the gun.

There are going to be answers from $150 dollar chinese imports up to the nice guns costing ten or more fold more... Would you prefer pump, semi or a break action gun? what is your "break the bank" limit?
Brent

For your budget of $500, a pump in 12, like an 870 Trap model will probably fit your needs on that budget.

Typical single barrel trap guns like a BT-99 are well made, but will run about double your current budget. Ljutics and Silver Seitz are at the other extreme end of the spectrum price-wise. In between are other brands and models that will run about 3-8 grand.

Remember, trap guns of good quality are built to deliver 10s of thousands of rounds per year.....and to do that for decades.............

Almost any gun will work for Trap / for Skeet a semi-auto or Over Under will probably be preferred because on some stations you have 2 birds in the air at once. You can certainly shoot Skeet with a pump gun as well - but it'll take more practice.

In the $500 range / a good pump gun is a good choice - my preference is the Browning BPS Hunter model, with 28" barrel - and its available in either 12 or 20ga. The BPS new is around $ 500 ..

The dominant gun for Trap is a 12ga / but any gun capable of shooting a 7/8 oz shell ( 12ga or 20ga) gives you plenty of shot to break a Trap or Skeet target - so either gague will work fine. Since this is new to you / I would probably say go with a 12ga / you'll find a good variety of less expensive shells around / and at any gun club.

If you bump your budget up to around $1,000 - look at some of the Beretta semi-autos / or Browning, Winchester, etc - all good solid long term guns.

I'm your age and a recovering competitive trap and skeet shooter. Since you mentioned a gun for T & S, you've narrower the field considerably. First, don't even consider a pump nor anything other than a 12-ga. A pump is okay for trap singles, but Skeet requires a quick second shot and you'll be hindered by a pump gun. The only reason to shoot Skeet with a pump is because you want some practice with your field 16-ga. That leaves you with an auto loader or an U/O for targets. The majority of competitive Skeet shooters use an O/U, but an auto-loader has it's merits.

Gas autos have an inherent ability to produce less kick because of the manner the mechanism deals with recoil energy. On the other hand, the heaver O/Us swing smoother and their added weight helps reduce kick. With an O/U you have the option of having it tubed to shoot smaller gauges, something not possible with autos. And a used auto loader will be more in line with your budget than an O/U. Years ago I bought a new Remington Model 1100 Trap model that a gun club buddy had won in a raffle. I got it for what the club had paid the wholesaler, added a factory case and a skeet barrel and now I have a back-up gun for trap or skeet.

Before you make your selection, beg, borrow and/or rent as many different guns as possible. Some will feel natural when mounted, swing smoothly and hit where you aim, others won't. You'll gain valuable information and get to know the difference between a gun that fits you and one that doesn't. Once you determine what gun best suits you, then your budget will determine it you're in the new or used gun market.

You can probably find a good used Remington 1100 that will fill your needs. Design has been around a long time, reliable, light recoil. As others have suggested, try to shoot several different guns that you feel will suit you and then make up your mind.

Thanks to everyone for your input. I really appreciate the information and it all makes a lot of sense. I just found out today there is a local trap and skeet club in my area. I'm going out next week and visit the club and hopefully I can see what the guys are shooting. Maybe I will be lucky enough to try out a gun or two, who knows maybe someone, will have a used gun for sale and I could step up in quality without busting my budget to bad.

Some of your best deals will be on the bulletin board at your club; and trying as many as you can is a great thing to do. While you may shoot both games, you will probably tend to favor one more than the other and you should buy accordingly.High quality guns can usually be sold down the road for as much as you paid for it, or even more, making its use basically free

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